The head of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Porfirije, in a letter to world leaders, has asked them "to use their authority" so that Kosovo suspends the implementation of the Law on Foreigners.
According to a statement from the church, Porfirie wrote to Pope Leo XIV, Russian President Vladimir Putin, American President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The letter was also sent to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and UNESCO Director-General Khaled El Enani.
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Letter to the Reader — Why We're Asking for Your Support ContributeWithout citing any basic argument, he demanded that these officials use their authority so that "Pristina stops implementing the extremely discriminatory law."
According to him, this law affects the engagement of students and pupils in the north who attend classes within the framework of the Serbian state program, but also the health system of Serbs in Kosovo.
He also claimed that the implementation of this law would lead to the departure of Serbs from Kosovo.
"Serbs would lose the chance to be educated and treated, and education and health workers would lose their jobs, which would lead to a massive, if not final, exodus of Serbian Orthodox from this centuries-old Christian country, where to date, about 1300 churches, monasteries and other Orthodox holy sites have been destroyed," his letter states.
The law on foreigners was adopted in 2013. The law on vehicles in 2017. Their implementation was announced for the end of last year, and then postponed to January. Kosovo authorities conducted an information campaign for several weeks during that period. After that, it was postponed again until March 15.
As part of this campaign, the Police and the Ministry of Internal Affairs have issued leaflets and announcements to the public in Albanian, Serbian and English since January 15, while Prime Minister Albin Kurti also informed ambassadors and diplomatic representatives accredited in Kosovo about the legal initiatives.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs, after the start of the implementation of the Law on Foreigners and the Law on Vehicles, has published a guidance document to inform foreign citizens about legal obligations during entry, stay and employment in the Republic of Kosovo.
The announcement stated that upon entering the Republic of Kosovo, the foreigner must: possess a valid travel document; possess a visa or residence permit, when required; respect the purpose and duration of stay; report the address of residence within three (3) days from the day of entry, at the border or at the nearest police station; have sufficient means of subsistence; respect the laws of the Republic of Kosovo; not be banned from entering and staying in the Republic of Kosovo; not pose a threat to state security, public order and health.
In the case of short-term stay, it is stated that: The foreigner may stay for up to 90 days within a 180-day period without a visa or with a visa when required. During this period, it is stated that work/employment is not permitted without a work permit and that any stay over 90 days requires an application for a residence permit.
"In the case of staying in the Republic of Kosovo for employment purposes: a temporary residence permit for work is required; a work permit is required; prior licensing is required in the case of applying for a work permit for a profession that requires a license; working without a permit is prohibited. The application for a work permit is made at the Employment Agency," the announcement states.
The Ministry had also provided clarifications regarding staying in Kosovo for other purposes.
"For study purposes, family reunification or other humanitarian reasons, scientific research and other circumstances provided for by law, it is required: to be provided with a temporary residence permit and to meet other legal criteria depending on the purpose of the stay. The application can be made at diplomatic/consular missions or at the DCAM, in cases where the foreigner has entered the Republic of Kosovo and does not need a visa," the announcement states.
When the legal provisions related to the entry, movement, residence and employment of foreigners are not complied with, the competent authorities are said to be able to take the measures determined by law, which may include but are not limited to: “cancellation of the residence permit, imposition of a fine, ordering departure and banning entry into the territory of the Republic of Kosovo”.
The law on foreigners stipulates that all those who do not possess Kosovo documents will have to apply for a residence permit within 72 hours. Meanwhile, the law on vehicles specifies that all vehicles with foreign license plates cannot circulate in the country for more than three months or on the basis of authorization.
These policies are expected to affect citizens of Serbia and Albania the most.
These laws have been opposed by the authorities in Serbia and by the Serbian List.
The opposition party in Serbia, the New Democratic Party, has announced a protest from Raška to Jarinje for Saturday with the slogan: "Serbs are not foreigners within their own country."
"On the occasion of the start of the implementation of the Law on Foreigners, adopted by the provisional institutions in Pristina, which - according to this message - is directed against the Serbian people living in Kosovo, we invite everyone to a rally of support for all Serbs living in Kosovo! Now they need us more than ever!", the party's announcement reads.
This entity has announced a two-hour traffic blockade at the Jarinje border crossing, starting at 12:44 p.m., as a reference to UN Resolution 1244 on Kosovo.
Serbia's objections to the laws are related to the issue that there are still Serbian residents in the north who are not equipped with Kosovo documents, as well as Serbian citizens working in Kosovo who will be forced to obtain work permits from Kosovo institutions.
Another reason is the large presence of vehicles with Serbian license plates, which residents in the north will be forced to remove from the country every three months.